Hunting and fishing

As I was curled up on the couch reading my new purchase, The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing, I was vaguely aware that at one point, John was reading over my shoulder. He muttered variations of, "How can she be so stupid?" and got frustrated with Jane's lack of ambition to be the protagonist in her own life. This got me thinking about the female voice. Though Hunting and Fishing is a work of fiction, author Melissa Bank captures what it's like to be a young woman coming of age in today's society. But what does that mean exactly? Bank's voice is undeniably real and honest, yet I'm not sure I like what it says. Maybe it's because it hits too close to home? Her character Jane finds herself in a job with a boss who undermines her intelligence and Jane finds herself regressing, instead of evolving. She finds herself in romantic relationships where she has become a caregiver instead of a partner. Jane falls victim to certain idioms that society dictates, despite how uncomfortable it makes her feel. It's hard to find a strong female protagonist, it is. But that's because in order for her voice to remain real, it must be plagued with the doubt we all feel, the second guessing we all do, the lack of confidence we all feel. In order to experience the empowerment of a female character in modern literature, we must first feel it in ourselves.

It's definitely worth the read. Bank writes with precision and truth, something that is harder to come by than it should be.